


A Worthwhile Ride

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: 41 Witnesses, Developing Relationship, M/M, Missing Scene, otp: the softest bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-24 05:51:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20353438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: A missing scene from 41 Witnesses. Sonny's angry. Mike assures him he's allowed.





	A Worthwhile Ride

Mike takes a deep breath as he follows Sonny into his apartment. He watches Sonny yank at his tie and kick his shoes halfway across the room, then pull off his coat and suit jacket in one move and let them fall to the floor. Mike drops his duffel next to the door. He removes his own coat and suit jacket in measured moves as Sonny throws his tie onto the kitchen counter, then jerks like he wants to slam his hands down. He stops himself an inch above the counter, and Mike watches all the anger and fight leech out of him. It makes him hurt even worse than Sonny's anger been paining him all day.

"If bystander effect was an actual thing, no one would ever call in from an apartment building," Sonny says in a low, defeated tone. "No building is ever fully dark. If bystander effect had any legs to stand on, 911 wouldn't be busy all the fucking time."

Mike unknots his tie and drapes it over his suit jacket. He pulls off his shoes, and picks up Sonny's coat and suit jacket from the floor. Hanging them next to his own. He's only known Sonny for five months, and they haven't said the word 'dating' just yet, but he knows Sonny well enough to know the best thing he can do is be quiet and let Sonny open up. 

"Someone had to call 911," Sonny says, mostly to himself. "Diffusion of responsibility can happen. I know that. But that just means _less_ people are likely to act, not that no one will act."

Mike walks across Sonny's living room and picks up Sonny's shoes. He places them next to his own under the coat rack where Sonny usually puts them. He unbuttons the top two buttons of his shirt and watches Sonny's back. He's breathing deep and even, his hands flat on the counter. 

"Someone had to call," Sonny repeats. His head drops lower, and the entire line of his body yells defeat.

Mike moves without thinking, coming up behind Sonny and placing his hands on his back. "This one's hitting you," he says quietly. Sonny's ribcage expands hard against his hands.

"Yeah," Sonny says. He takes another deep breath. 

Mike takes a chance and slides his hands to Sonny's waist, then pulls Sonny back against him so he can press his face against Sonny's hair. "Is it something in particular?"

"It just hits me sometimes," Sonny says slowly. He rolls his shoulders and shifts his weight backwards so he's pressed against Mike more firmly. "I'm used to a lot, but that kind of disinterest for a neighbor…" He pulls Mike's arms around his waist and holds onto his forearms. "It feels like they didn't care because she wasn't the right kind of victim. Just some junkie who got her kids taken. Maybe if we pretend we don't see her getting hurt, she won't be a problem anymore."

Mike closes his eyes at the cynical snap of Sonny's voice. He noses into Sonny's hair and matches his breathing, relieved when Sonny relaxes against him after a handful of breaths. "What can I do to help?" he asks.

Sonny doesn't answer right away. After a long moment of silence, he turns slowly in Mike's arms and puts his arms around Mike's neck. "I'm sorry," he says. "I should have shaken off this mood before we got here."

Mike shakes his head. "What? Why?"

"You didn't come over to get me out of a bad mood," he says. "It's not your job to work me out of a funk."

Mike snorts. "What? We're friends, Sonny. And we're…" Mike shrugs. "Dating? I guess?"

"I mean, yeah, I figured we were," Sonny replies. For the first time since Sonny started finding out no one had called in the assault, he looks like he usually does. There's a smile quirking the corners of his mouth, and his dimples are just barely flashing.

Mike feels his heart clench in his chest as he realizes he can do this to Sonny, take him out of a terrible, angry mood, and make him happy, even for just a moment. He can't help the smile that slides onto his own face. "Okay, so we're friends, and we're dating. Both of those things mean you get to be in a bad mood in front of me, and I get to help you get out of it."

Sonny sighs and squeezes his eyes shut. "I know. Sorry. I just...I hate feeling like this, and I hate that you've had to watch me like this all day."

Mike slides his hands up and down Sonny's back. "Bad days happen," he says. "You told me that, remember?"

Sonny's smile goes deeply sweet. "I remember," he says. 

"That's how we got to be friends, you know. You came over after you cooked for Rollins that night, and you let me talk about a bad day. You let me be angry, and you let me vent, and it meant a lot. It still means a lot." Mike ducks down so he can press his forehead to Sonny's. "So, whatever you need to deal with your bad day, I'm here for it. As your friend. As your…?" Mike shrugs. "Boyfriend?"

"Booty call?" Sonny offers, his smile now a bit of a smirk. 

"Can we date and also be a booty call?" Mike asks, chuckling.

Sonny chuckles along with him. "I don't know," he says. "But I think I'd rather say boyfriend."

"Me, too," Mike says. He dips down and kisses Sonny, a quick, firm press just because he can. Because he's cheered Sonny up and reassured Sonny he's here for him, and now Sonny's his boyfriend. "Okay," he says when he pulls away. "What do you need to feel better?"

Sonny thinks for a moment. "Sandwich. Ham and American cheese with sliced tomatoes fried as greasy as I can possibly make it. Beer. Something dumb on the tv."

"Can I get in on one of those sandwiches?" Mike asks because it sounds like amazing comfort food.

"Of course," Sonny says, giving Mike an indulgent look. "You want to get out of your work clothes?"

"You first," Mike replies. "I'll open the beers."

Sonny tips his chin up and hums when Mike kisses him. "Thank you," he says quietly.

"It's my pleasure," Mike responds, and he steals one more kiss before he steps away and walks to the fridge. 

Sonny goes into the bedroom and returns a minute later, out of his suit and wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a gray henley along with a thick pair of socks. He's scrubbing his fingers through his hair, breaking up the product so his curls fall a little loose. He looks at the coat rack and sees that all his things have been placed as he likes them, and the smile he gives Mike as Mike hands him a beer is breathtaking in its quiet appreciation. 

"Thanks," Sonny says, gesturing to the coat rack.

"You're welcome," Mike replies. He steals one more kiss. He can't help it. Sonny looks soft and cozy, the last of his anger gone from his face. 

"How goopy do you want your sandwich?" Sonny asks as Mike walks over to his duffel and picks it up.

"I'll trust your definition of goopy," Mike says. He goes into the bedroom and changes into his own flannel bottoms and thick socks, leaving on his undershirt but not layering anything over it. He pulls his backup suit out of his duffel and hangs it on a couple of free hangers in Sonny's closet. His shirt he puts on a hanger and hangs it on the towel rack in the bathroom. The steam when they shower in the morning will take out the wrinkles and freshen it up in general. 

He pauses before he leaves the bathroom and looks at the shirt. This isn't his first time staying over, but it's still a new part of their relationship, and seeing his shirt hanging up makes him feel warm inside. 

He's smitten. He knows that. The first time Sonny smiled at him he knew he was in trouble. All legs and loose gestures and quick jokes at first, but then Mike had seen Sonny's intelligence and determination, the kindness he always had at the ready, and the way he genuinely cared for everyone around him. He remembers watching Sonny cross himself when they found Lily. He'd wanted to scoff at the action, but the noise caught in his chest. It wasn't a distracted sort of motion like Mike had seen from a few other people. It was a deliberate choice on Sonny's part, to cross himself and no doubt send a prayer for Lily's soul.

Mike leaves the bathroom and walks back to the kitchen. Sonny's slicing a tomato. There's a bag of deli ham open next to him, and a stack of American cheese slices next to the butter. Mike comes up beside him and waits for Sonny to look up. 

"What's up?" Sonny asks.

Mike kisses him, trying to show Sonny in the way he cups his face carefully just how much he cares for him. How important it makes him feel for Sonny to trust him with his bad moods and bad days. When he pulls away, he can't help but press one more kiss to Sonny's cheek. "You're amazing," he says. "Every damn day you're amazing, and you're my boyfriend."

Sonny flushes and looks down at the tomato. "Wow."

Mike chuckles and grabs his beer, taking a quick drink. "I just needed you to know that," he says.

"Okay," Sonny replies. He looks at Mike again and every line of his body is soft and inviting. "You're pretty amazing, too."

"Thanks," Mike says. 

Sonny gives him another of those warm, soft smiles, and Mike has to lean in and kiss it off his face. It's been an awful day, no question, but now Mike has a boyfriend making him comfort food so they can both unwind and tackle the world tomorrow. He's so grateful, it hurts, and the way Sonny bumps their noses together as he pulls out of the kiss makes Mike certain he feels exactly the same.

**Author's Note:**

> If you don't think American cheese is comfort food, we can't talk to each other.


End file.
